(A)   The following signs shall not be required to have a permit issued from the administrator for their placement.

   (B)   Any such signs (except government signs) shall be located placed outside of a street right-of-way or required sight distance triangle.

      (1)   Any official or public notice or warning sign required by a valid or applicable Federal, state, or local law; by a public utility company; or by a court of competent jurisdiction, such as traffic regulating signs, directional signs, caution signs, no-parking signs, warning and trespass signs.

      (2)   Building marker signs that include the building name, date of construction, or historical data, with a maximum aggregate area of six square feet.

      (3)   On-premises decorative, seasonal, or corporate logo flags. Decorative, seasonal flags, or corporate logo flags (may include the company name, insignia or symbol) may be up to 16 square feet.

      (4)   Governmental signs, erected and maintained by or on behalf of the Unites States, North Carolina, Gaston County or the Town of Dallas for the purpose of regulating traffic or for civic purposes.

      (5)   On-premises public interest signs. Signs indicating vehicular entrances and exits, parking areas, one-way traffic, “no trespassing,” “no loitering,” “help wanted, now hiring,” etc. Such signs may be illuminated, shall not exceed four square feet in area and shall be located at the driveway entrance or where other instruction is required.

      (6)   Memorial signs, plaques or grave markers that are noncommercial in nature.

      (7)   Flags, pennants, insignia, or religious symbols of any nonprofit or not-for-profit organization or government, when not displayed as an advertising device or attraction feature for commercial purposes, including non-commercial signs.

      (8)   On-premises identification signs for residential uses that show the name and may also include the street address, with a maximum area of four square feet. Mailbox signs on mailboxes shall be limited to individual name(s) and the address of the property served by the mailbox.

      (9)   Incidental signs: on-premise signs which are displayed for the convenience of the general public. These include signs identifying visitor centers, public rest rooms; automobile inspection; hours of operation; credit cards accepted, etc. Such signs may not be illuminated and shall contain no other sign copy other than service information, trade names, and logos. Such signs shall be a maximum of four square feet apiece and are limited to two per property, shall be located on the property of the business to which the sign applies, and shall be located on private property, outside of the street right of way.

      (10)   Campaign, political and election signs, (adopted 05/10/16), provided that the following conditions are met:

         (a)   If placed within the street right-of-way:

            1.   Sign area shall not exceed five square feet;

            2.   Sign height shall not exceed 36 inches above the street level nearest to the sign; provided however, if sign is located within 12 feet of the point of intersection of the edges of pavement of two intersecting streets, no sign shall exceed 30 inches above the height of said street level.

            3.   Such sign shall not be put up more than 30 days before the election and must be removed within five days following the date of election. Signs for candidates in a runoff election may stay up until five days following the runoff election day.

            4.   No such sign shall be placed over any curb, street or highway median, street surface or sidewalk; or on any utility pole, government sign or signpost, bridge, tree, rock, fence, or guardrail; or within 15 feet of any fire hydrant.

            5.   No such sign shall be placed within two feet of any public street sign or highway sign.

            6.   Such signs are prohibited within the right-of-way of any fully controlled access highway.

            7.   The tenant or other person entitled to possession of the property fronting along the street right-of-way on which a sign is placed may remove such sign at any time.

            8.   Such signs shall not be placed on right-or-way fronting public facilities (e.g. government office or operations center, post office, public cemetery, historic courthouse, public safety station, public library, public museum, public community center, public park, public school, etc.) except on election day where said public facility is a polling place and is placed in accordance with the rules of the Gaston County Board of Elections.

            9.    Notwithstanding the forgoing, the town shall remove any such signs or group of signs the Zoning Administrator deems to be an obstruction to the safe vision of motorists or is deemed to be in violation of this section.

         (b)   If placed on private property, outside the street right-of-way;

            1.   Sign area shall not exceed 32 square feet.

            2.   No such sign may be placed on private property without permission of the owner. The property owner upon whose land the signs are placed will be responsible for any violations.

            3.   Sign height shall not exceed ten feet or 2.5 times the vertical dimension of the sign face, whichever is less.

            4.   No such sign shall obstruct the safe vision of motorists.

         (c)   Irrespective of location, no campaign or election sign shall be lighted or luminous, nor shall it have any flashing lights, moving or windblown parts.

      (11)   Temporary real estate signs advertising a specific property for sale, lease, rent or development, or "open houses" shall be located as follows:

         (a)   For sale, for lease, for rent signs.

            1.   One sign per street frontage advertising real estate “For Sale,” “For Rent,” “For Lease,” or “For Development.”

            2.   The maximum area of such sign shall be as follows: four square feet in a residential district.

            3.   Thirty-two square feet in area in all other districts.

            4.   Such allowances shall be followed provided that the sign is located on the property being advertised, and sign is located behind the street right-of-way line.

            5.   Up to eight off-premises temporary directional signs per residential development for the purpose of providing directions to multiple new dwellings for sale or lease; provided:

               A.   Each such sign is no larger than three square feet in size and four feet in height;

               B.   Is attached to its own support anchored in the ground; and

               C.    Signs are allowed only between 6:00 p.m. on Fridays and 6:00 p.m. on Sundays.

            6.   Two off-premises directional signs per residential dwelling for sale; provided that each off-premise sign is no larger than two square feet in size and two and a half feet in height, and is attached to its own support anchored in the ground.

         (b)   "Open House" signs:

            1.   No greater than four off-premises signs shall be allowed per open house event.

            2.   Such signs shall be in place from 6:00 p.m. on Fridays until 6:00 p.m. on Sundays only.

            3.   Open House signs shall not exceed three square feet in size and four feet in height.

            4.   No sign allowed under this subsection shall be illuminated.

         (c)   Any real estate sign located in the public right-of-way shall be deemed a violation of this ordinance and may be removed by the administrator and destroyed without notice.

         (d)   No signs shall be located within 15 feet of any fire hydrant.

      (12)   Construction/improvement signs (including financing signs and future development signs) are allowed under the following conditions:

         (a)   Signs in conjunction with any residential use shall not exceed four square feet each. Signs in conjunction with all other uses shall have a maximum area of 32 square feet each.

         (b)   One sign per premises shall be allowed, shall not be illuminated and shall appear only at the construction site and shall be removed within seven days after a certificate of occupancy for the advertised property has been issued.

      (13)   Subdivision/multi-family development/planned residential development identification signs shall be allowed under the following conditions:

         (a)   Such signs may be placed at each principal entrance to the development.

         (b)   Such signs shall not exceed 32 square feet in area apiece.

         (c)   Such signs may not be placed in a street median (i.e., in a street right-of-way).

         (d)   Such signs shall not consist of yard signs, flags, feather flags, etc. and shall be removed after the development is completed.

      (14)   On-premises temporary banners and signs for nonresidential uses located in nonresidential districts for promotional event or grand opening, provided that:

         (a)   For a continuous advertising period not to exceed 14 days, on-premises banners, balloons less than two feet in diameter, pennants, and flags (including "feather" flags), for special events (promotional sales, products, etc.) are permitted so long as said signs/objects are not located in a street right-of-way.

         (b)   Within any calendar year, any use may be permitted temporary signs of this nature for no greater than three, non-consecutive 14-day (two week) periods. No such banners, signs or balloons shall be placed on a roof, shall have a maximum area of 24 square feet and no more than three on-premises banners or signs shall be allowed during each advertising period.

      (15)   Sandwich board signs: sandwich board signs shall be allowed provide the following requirements are met:

         (a)   The total area of the signboard shall not exceed ten square feet per side.

         (b)   The sign shall have a maximum height of five feet and a maximum width of two feet.

         (c)   The sign must be constructed of materials that present a finished appearance. Rough-cut plywood and similar unfinished surfaces shall not be used for such signs.

         (d)   Signs may be placed in a sidewalk or within a street right-of-way (but outside a vehicular travel way) as long as they do not interfere with pedestrian or vehicular movement and circulation.

         (e)   Signs shall be removed by the end of the business day.

      (16)   Commercial signs placed in an athletic field and other outdoor space where such signs are intended to be visible by persons attending such events at such facilities.

      (17)   Holiday decorations, with no commercial messages. Such decorations may be placed outside of the street right-of-way and may be displayed between November 15 and January 15.

      (18)   Off-premises permanent directional signs for public, non-profit uses (churches, etc.) provided that:

         (a)   Such signs shall be permanent ground signs. Portable signs shall not be allowed.

         (b)   No greater than two directional signs per use shall be allowed, irrespective of location.

         (c)   No two directional signs shall be located within five linear feet of each other.

         (d)   All directional signs in this category shall be constructed of durable wood or non-reflective metal or plastic materials.

         (e)   Directional signs shall not be illuminated.

      (19)   Special event signs for public, quasi-public or not-for-profit organizations. Such signs may be erected by organizations (e.g., schools, churches, etc.) without a permit under the following conditions:

         (a)   The sign is in association with a special event (e.g., barbeque, rummage sale, fair, etc.).

         (b)   Such signs shall be non-illuminated and shall have a maximum area of 32 square feet.

         (c)   For scheduled events such as rummage sales, fund-raising events, fairs, festivals, barbeques, etc., on-premise signs only (including portable signs) shall be allowed.

         (d)   Such signs may be erected 14 days prior to the event and shall be removed within 72 hours of the termination of the event.

      (20)   Window signs, intended to be seen by pedestrians, motorists or customers from the outside of the building, from an adjoining street. This pertains to signs placed on the inside of glass windows and doors and does not include exterior wall signs which require permits.

      (21)   Yard sale/garage sale/estate sale/auction signs provided that:

         (a)   Such signs may not be illuminated, may be placed within 24 hours prior to the sale, and removed within 12 hours after the event.

         (b)   Each sign may have a maximum area of six square feet. Such signs may be placed on or off-premises. If off-premises, permission of the property owner is required.

         (c)   A maximum of three off-premises signs and one on-premises sign is allowed per yard sale.

         (d)   No such signs are allowed on telephone poles, sign poles, etc. These signs must be free standing (on their own supports). Notwithstanding the forgoing, the Town of Dallas shall remove any such signs or group of signs the Zoning Administrator deems to be an obstruction to the safe vision of motorists or is deemed to be in violation of this chapter.

(Ord. passed 11-3-1970; Am. Ord. passed 7-3-1972; Am. Ord. passed 5-10-2016; Am. Ord. passed 7-12-2016)

   Signs that are structurally unsafe and thereby endanger the public safety shall be removed unless they are repaired and made to otherwise comply with the requirements of this Code.

(Ord. passed 11-3-1970; Am. Ord. passed 7-3- 1972)

   (A)   Installation of a new electronic variable messaging sign, or the conversion of a permitted non-digital sign to a digital sign, requires the issuance of a zoning permit. The addition of any digital display to a nonconforming sign is prohibited. Zoning permits may be revoked for any illuminated signage installed without first obtaining all required building and electrical permits and inspections from Gaston County.

      (1)   Electronic variable messaging signage must be located a minimum distance of 25 feet from any street or highway intersection and a minimum distance of 150 feet from any residential zoned area.

      (2)   EVM signage located within the B-3 zone requires approval by the Board of Alderman in addition to the requirements outlined in this section.

      (3)   EVM signage shall not be located within a sight distance triangle as defined by NCDOT on properties abutting a state road, or as defined by § 153.012 on properties located along local roads.

         (a)   During daylight hours between sunrise and sunset, luminance shall be no greater than 5,000 nits.

         (b)   At all other times, luminance shall be no greater than 250 nits.

         (c)   Each sign must have a light sensing device that will automatically adjust the brightness of the display as the natural ambient light conditions change. To comply with the limits set here within.

      (1)   Digital display signs are subject to the following regulations in addition to all other requirements established in the town's sign ordinance.

            1.   Any digital display containing animation, streaming video, or text or images which flash, pulsate, move, or scroll is prohibited. Each complete message must fit on one screen.

            2.   One message/display may be brighter than another, but each individual message/display must be static in intensity.

            3.   The content of a digital display must transition by changing with no transition graphics (e.g., no fade-out or fade-in).

      (2)   Message center signs are subject to the following regulations, in addition to all other illumination requirements established in the town's sign ordinance.

            1.   No message center sign may contain text which flashes, pulsates, moves, or scrolls. Each complete message must fit on one screen.

            2.   The content of a message center sign must transition by changing with no transition graphics (e.g., no fade-out or fade-in).

      (1)   The electrical supply to all exterior signs, whether to the sign itself or to lighting fixtures positioned to illuminate the sign, shall be provided by means of concealed electrical cables. Electrical supply to freestanding signs shall be provided by means of underground cables.

      (2)   The owner of any illuminated sign shall arrange for a certification showing compliance with the brightness standards set forth herein by an independent contractor and provide the certification documentation to the Town of Dallas as a condition precedent to the issuance of a sign permit.

(Ord. passed 11-3-1970; Am. Ord. passed 7-3-1972; Am. Ord. passed 6-12-2012; Am. Ord. passed 7-9-2019; Am. Ord. passed - - )

   Signs shall not be permitted in accordance with specified regulations set forth in Appendix D: Sign Regulations Schedule.

(Ord. passed 11-3-1970; Am. Ord. passed 7-3- 1972)

   The provisions of this subchapter shall apply to the following zones only: M O and I, Medical and Office Institutional; O and I-2, Office and Institutional; B-1, Neighborhood Business; B-2, Highway Business; B-3, Central Business; B-3P, Central Business District Perimeter; B-4, General Business; I-1 Light Industrial; I-2, General Industrial; I-2L, General Industrial Limited; and EI-1, Exclusive Industrial.

(Ord. passed 11-3-1970; Am. Ord. passed 7-3- 1972)

   (A)   A shopping center consisting of five or more businesses located in a unified building or group of buildings may have business and/or identification signs as permitted in the zone or district, except that the shopping center as a whole may have one detached sign per street front over and above the detached signs permitted for the business establishments in the shopping center.

   (B)   One temporary sign shall be permitted on the site of any construction work bearing the name of the building, the owner, and those furnishing services or materials used on such construction work.

   (C)   Real estate signs in residential zones advertising the sale, rental or lease of the premises on which such sign is located shall not exceed four square feet in area and shall be at least ten feet from any street right-of way line.

   (D)   No sign shall be erected or maintained at any location where by reason of its position, working, illumination, shape, symbol, color, form or character, it may obstruct, impair, obscure, interfere with the view of, or may be confused with, any authorized traffic-control sign, signal or device, or interfere with mislead, confuse or disrupt traffic.

   (E)   No sign having flashing, intermittent. or animated illumination shall be permitted within 75 feet of a street or highway intersection or within 300 feet of any residential zone unless the sign is not visible from such zone.

   (F)   No advertising sign shall be permitted in any area designated by the Board of Aldermen as one of scenic beauty or historical interest.

   (G)   A sign designated to be viewed from two directions shall be considered as one sign, provided that the two sign faces are parallel and not more than 42 inches apart.

   (H)   All detached business signs shall be limited to a height of 30 feet and shall not exceed 100 square feet in area.

(Ord. passed 11-3-1970; Am. Ord. passed 7-3- 1972)

   Signs in B-3: Central Business zones shall be regulated as follows:

   (A)   Types of signs permitted: Identification and/or business.

   (B)   Permitted number of signs: Two per use per street.

   (C)   Permitted illumination: Luminous.

   (D)   Permitted location: Anywhere on the property, but projecting not more than six inches into street right-of-way above the street sidewalk grade, in which case it may project 18 inches into the street right-of-way, A sign may project over the street right-of-way if said sign is attached to a canopy or similar appurtenance which extends over the right-of-way, but in no case shall project beyond the end of the canopy or appurtenance. Roof signs shall not be permitted

(Ord. passed 11-3-1970; Am. Ord. passed 7-3- 1972)

   (A)   Types of signs permitted: Outdoor advertising signs.

   (B)   Size of signs:

      (2)   The maximum size limitations shall apply to each side of a sign structure; and signs may be placed back-to-back, side-by-side or in V-type construction with not more than two displays to each facing, and such sign structure shall be considered as one sign.

      (3)   Side-by-side signs shall be structurally tied together to be considered as one sign structure.

      (4)   V-type and back-to-back signs will not be considered as one sign if located more than 15 feet apart at their nearest points.

   (C)   Spacing of signs.

      (1)   Signs may not be located in such a manner as to obscure, or physically interfere with the effectiveness of an official traffic sign, signal or device; obstruct or physically interfere with the driver's view of approaching, merging or intersecting traffic.

      (2)   No two sign structures shall be spaced less than 500 feet apart.

      (3)   No sign structure may be located adjacent to or within 500 feet of an interchange, intersection at grade or safety rest area. Said 500 feet to be measured along the highway from the beginning or ending of pavement widening at the exit from or entrance to the main traveled way.

      (4)   The foregoing provisions for the spacing of signs do not apply to sign structures separated by buildings or other obstructions in such a manner that only one sign facing located within the above spacing distances is visible from the highway at any one time.

      (5)   Official and on-premises signs and structures that are not lawfully maintained shall not be counted nor shall measurements be made from them for the purposes of determining compliance with spacing requirements.

      (6)   The minimum distance between sign structures shall be measured along the nearest edge of the pavement between points directly opposite the signs along each side of the highway and shall apply only to structures located on the same side of the highway.

   (D)   Lighting of signs-restrictions:

      (1)   Signs which contain, include or are illuminated by any flashing intermittent or moving light or lights are prohibited except those giving public service information, such as time, date, temperature, weather or similar information.

      (2)   Signs which are not effectively shielded as to prevent beams or rays of light from being directed at any portion of the travel ways of the highway and which are of such intensity or brilliance as to cause glare and to impair the vision of the driver of any motor vehicle or which otherwise interferes with any driver's operation of a motor vehicle are prohibited.

      (3)   No sign shall be so illuminated that it interferes with the effectiveness of, or obscures an official traffic sign, device or signal.

      (4)   All such lighting shall be subject to any other provisions relating to lighting signs presently applicable to all highways under the jurisdiction of the State of North Carolina.

      (5)   Illumination shall not be added to non-conforming signs or signs conforming by virtue of the grandfather clause.

   (E)   Location of signs near residential areas: No sign structure shall be located within 75 feet to a residential structure or a residential zone boundary.

   (F)   Height of sign above highway or grade level: The top of a sign structure shall not be in excess of 40 feet in height above the highway or natural grade level, whichever is higher. However, an outdoor advertising sign may be extended to a height not to exceed 80 feet provided that the size of a sign exceeding 40 feet in height shall not be larger than 200 square feet in area.

   (G)   On-premise signs: The provisions of this section shall not apply to on-premise signs.

(Ord. passed 11-3-1970; Am. Ord. passed 7-3- 1972; Am. Ord. passed 7-19-1988)